Collecting sports cards used to be a cheap and simple task. You would trade your multiples with your friends on the school yard, or you would grab a quick pack of cards for the sole purpose of having the gum inside. Every year, a couple of new sets would appear on store shelves, inserts were nothing special, and autographed cards were meant to be found at the stadium.

If you’ve been a long-time collector, then you should know that those days are gone, and the trading cards options are now endless. It can seem daunting at times knowing that there are so many collections to have, and sometimes you just want to walk away. However, that shouldn’t be the case. Collecting cards should be fun and an activity that excites you.

Whether you’re a veteran in the trading card community or a rookie collector, here are some tips to help you build and expand your card collection.

Find a Niche and Stick With It

If you already have a favorite sport that you want to collect or have been collecting, stick with it. Having a certain sport that you want to expand into will make your card expansion journey much easier. You can better understand the various collections there are and the players that you should be on the hunt for.

For instance, if you’re a soccer card collector, you are probably focused on the UEFA, English Premier League, or Bundesliga collections.

Find a Brand That You Love

The top brands of trading cards include Panini and Topps. These brands are trusted, authenticated, and easy to access. Each of these brands have their own distinctive designs, specializations and collections, but both would make fantastic options.

Panini specializes in individual competitions like the World Cup, the English Premier League, and entertainment brands. Panini not only provides cards for collectors, but stickers as well – stickers came before their card collections during the first World Cup competitions. Topps, on the other hand, specializes in cards and premium card collections. One of their largest collections for soccer fans is their Topps Match Attax UEFA Card collection, where they celebrate all the players from the season’s UEFA competitions.

Research the Collections

Once you know the brands or the stores that you trust, look into the type of collections that they offer. Like we said above, Topps and Panini both have their major lines of cards that are large (Panini Premier League Adrenalyn & Topps Match Attax), but they also have smaller collections that are of higher value.

Topps has some smaller soccer collections including their Fan Sets, Team Sets, or their Superstars collection. They also offer Topps Finest, Chrome, Merlin, Lineage, or Museum collections which are pricier, but they include autograph or relic cards.  Panini has their Adrenalyn XL card collection, along with their very popular World Cup Stickers & Cards. Their Donruss, Prizm, and Chronicles collections are where you’re going to want to expand if you have more financial wiggle room.

Make a Wishlist

If you’re interested in expanding your collection, create a wishlist of the types of collections that you want to get your hands on. This could be expanding your collection with more high-end collections, autographs, team sets, or completing your larger collections like the Topps Match Attax or the Panini Premier League collections.

One of the best parts about card collecting is the chase for a specific card. If you have a certain wishlist of players or inserts in mind, then this will make the experience much more enjoyable.

Set a Budget

When you’re not getting the cards that you want, collectors can sometimes get impatient. This often results in you overspending on more and more packs in hopes that you land a hit. Now this is great for the sellers, but as a collector you want to set a budget and expand with collections that are within it.

If you’re interested in a specialty collection, then you can always ask for it as a gift. Birthdays, Christmas, and other special events are the perfect time to ask for a certain collection or specialty card that you’ve been on the hunt for.

Get Social

Join some Facebook or Reddit groups that have similar cards that you’re interested in so that you can swap or buy. Get connected with other collectors – whether they’re your friends, family, or strangers – and use those relationships to get some cards you might be interested in.

You may think that there are only a small number of collectors out there, but you’re wrong. There are actually thousands of collectors new and old that are also trying to expand their collection like you are. Get involved and it will benefit you!

Be Patient

Your collection should be something you’re proud of. As a collector, don’t rush into buying cards or collections from people if you don’t believe it’s a fair price. There’s nothing wrong with searching for a good deal since there’s no rush to expand your collection. Don’t go buying cards because you want to have a bigger collection than your friends, you should actually be buying pieces that will be of value to you. Go with your gut instinct when you’re buying authentic cards because you don’t want to get ripped off with a fake card.

If you’re interested in learning more about specific collections, you can always dive into our other blog posts. Whenever we release a new collection online at SoccerCards.ca, we make sure to release all of the information there is to know about the collection!

At SoccerCards.ca you can always find card collections old and new, to help you expand! You can even sign up for our rewards program to get rewarded for every purchase you make. Happy collecting!